Home is Behind - A Thorin Fanfiction: 1. The Shire
Night had settled in on the Shire. I slowed down my horse to a simple walk, pausing just outside the village of sorts to tie my horse to a fence. Into the village I went, looking at each door for the marking Gandalf the Grey was talking about. I took my time, enjoying the serene night even as I was in my Ranger attire with my hood up. The moon shone down on my figure, the stars shining brightly. It was just as peaceful as I had imagined this place to be. Safe from the Orcs and other monsters to rule Middle-Earth. I had heard of there joyful songs and good food, I hoped that I could witness both that night. I circled the shire until i came to the door, the sound of dwarves already coming out of the hobbit home. I took a steady breath, walking up the path and ringing the doorbell. "As much as I love visitors, my dining room is already clogged up!!" Came an angry voice fom inside. The door swung oprn, almkst off it' s hinges, and revealed a small hobbit wearing a nightgown. He had curly blonde hair and brown eyes. He cleared his throat, "Good evening." I smiled at the hobbit, "May I come in?" I asked softly, the hobbit only nodded and moved to the side to let me in. Twelve dwarves were already inside, messing around and asking each other for ale. Gandalf was already there also, standing up. "Have I missed anything?" Gandalf shook his head, and the hobbit came on over, complaining about all the dwarves in his home. Then a dwarf wearing a knitted jumper came upbto him holding a plate. "Excuse me, i'm very sorry if i'm interupting something but where do I put my plate?" A blonde haired dwarf took the plate and threw it, another dwarf caught and threw it back, and like a well oiled machine, plates were being thrown. At the table, other dwarves were stroking their knives and forkes together. "Dont do that. You'll blunt the knives." The Hobbit protested. "Do you hear that?" A dwarf wearing a funny hat said through a smile, 'We'll blunt the knives." The dwarves entered song, smiling. Blunt the knives, Bend the forks Smash the bottles and burn the corks, Chip the glasses and crack the plates, That's what Bilbo Baggins Hates! Cut the cloth, tread on the fat Leave the bones on the bedroom mat Pour the milk on the pantry floor Splash the wine on every door! Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl Pound them up with a thumping pole When you re finished, if they are hole Send them down the hall to roll That's what Bilbo Baggins hates! I couldn't help but chuckle slightly as I sat down. The table was clear and the dwarves were chuckling to themselves. That was until there were three heavy knocks on the door. Everyone went silent, and Gandalf spoke, "He is here." The wizard stood and walked to the door, opening it softly. "Ah Gandalf. I thought you said that this place would be easy to find." The last dwarf walked in. He was....handsome to the least. He had black her down to his shoulders, and his beard was more like thick stubble, not like a proper dwarfs beard at all. He looked like he had seen many battles and faced many hardships in his life. "I got lost, twice. It was fortunate I found the mark on the door." "There is no mark on my door." The baffled Hobbit protested as Gandalf closed the door behind the handsome dwarf. "My door was repainted a week ago." "There is a mark there, left by myself." The wizard sated. He pointed towards th dwarf who had just arrived, 'This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror King Under the Mountain." So that was his name. He turned to look at Bilbo. "So this is our burglar? Tell me, Mister Baggins, what is you're weapon of choice?" The hobbit looked confused, "What?" "Axe or sword?" Thorin asked again. The hobbit sighed and put his hands behind his back, "I know a bit in the art of Conkers, if you must know. 'Though I do not see how that is relevant" Thorin looked at Gandalf, 'He's more like a Grocer then a Burglar." He took a seat, taking off his fur coat. And, even though Bilbo must have felt insulted, he still went into thekitchen and made a bowl of soup with what he could for the dwarf. "Did you go to the blue mountains?" A dwarf with a grey beard, Balin, asked. Thorin nodded, 'What did they say?" "They said yes. If we fail yet still live, then we will be able to leave there instead of labouring in the human lands." "What about, the Iron Hills? Will we be recieving any help?" There was a long pause. Thorin sighed, "No. Dain has refused." Immediately the dwarves goaned and sighed heavily, the once slightly cheerful atmosphere now trned slightly depressing, but Thorin became lost in thought even through all the loud talking of the dwarves. I hadn't spoken a single word to anyone about this. It wasn't entirely my place to say anything, if anything I felt like I didn't belong. Yet I was requested personally by Gandalf, obviously. Apparantly they wanted a Ranger, and here I was. I became so lost in thought, I didn't come out until light glinted off a key into my eye. There was a map on the table, a picture of the Lonely Mountain in the centre. The were trying to reclaim the Mountain. That sounded like an adventure and a half. But I had heard about Smaug the dragon. No one had seen him in over sixty years, ever since Erabor was taken by the dragon. "We need to gt the Arkon stone. And it is somewhere in the treasury." Thorin stated, "Then we can kill Smaug and reclaim what we have lost." The dwarves cheered for a wnile with Bilbo stood behind Thorin. "Sounds like you need a burgular." The hobbit sated, 'And a good one at that. An expert." A grey bearded dwarf, eiher ori, nori or dori, spoke. "Did you hear that, he said he's a burglar." Bilbo knitted his eyebrows, "What?" The dwarf continued, 'He's an expert." There were a few cheers. I rolled my eyes. Couldn't any of them tell the difference between a thief and a well lived Hobbit. I cleared my throat, and finally spoke. "Mister Baggins is the sort who has never stolen anything." Everyone looked at me, but mainly the dwarf prince. "You should listen to your friend." Bilbo pointed at me and then to himself, 'I have never stolen anything." Balin nodded, "I am afraid I would have to agree with Mister Baggins. He's well lived, hasn't had the need to steal." There was a moments silence, Thorin still looking at me. The atmosphere grew tense around me, whether it was the same for everyone else I had no idea. My hood was still up. Maybe that's why Thorin was staring at me, trying to figure out who I was, what I was, what I was doing here, or whether I was a thief or not. "Then we will have no burglar, and find the stone ourselves." People started to complain at eachother in despair. Bilbo smiled lightly, happy that so far he was not leaving his small little home. But I could tell that he felt a little worried for the dwarves. Maybe even myself as I must have seemed I was only one with any sense in the predicament. Gandalf looked like he was going to boil over. He stood and a shadow started to fill the house. "If i say that Bilbo Baggins is a burglar then a burglar he is." The sadow died away, 'You told me to get yourself the fourteenth member of your group, and I did." The wizard sat down calmly. But Thorin looked at him. "I also asked you to find us the fifteenth not another thief." Gandalf gave me that look that said, 'don't say anything.' But I couldn't sit and isten to insults about my kin. I stood, almost hitting my head. Gandalf continued to look at me, even gestured me to sit back down. But Thorin, he looked at me, wanting me to speak what I had to say. "You think that I am a a burglar? A thief?" I said with more anger then I thought, "My kin are often insulted by statements like that. Sometimes they even get called bandits. But we are rangers. The best trackers an hunters you'll find." Dwalin chuckled, "Well, Miss ranger -" "Lúthien." I interrupted. "Lúthien. None of us really want to save you from orcs goblins or ban-" before he could finish speakin he found a dagger cose to his neck, and an angry Dunedan close to his face. "Neither do I want to save you at all, Dwalin. You'll do well to remember that." I stated warningly. Dwalin gulped as I sheathed my dagger. Everyone looked at me with awe, apart from Thorin. He loked a little suprised at my sudden movement, "But i'm sue you're all a jolly group when I get to know you lot." I sat back down, slouching slightly with my hands together, fingers weaved. 'Give them the contracts." Thorin stated after a short pause. Balin took out the contracts. "It's just the usual; summery of the out-of-pockets expenses , time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so fourth." Thorin took a contract and handed it to Bilbo as the other was handed down to myself. "Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo asked, opening up the contract. "Oh, exceeds up to one fourteenth profit, if any. Seems fair. Present company shall not be liable to injuries including, but not limited to laceration, evisceration..." he opened the up the contract a little more, "Incineration?!" The dwarf with the funny hat spoke again, "Oh aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye. " Bilbo and even myself, paled slightly. Balin looked at the hobbit, "Are you okay laddie?" Bilbo nodded, "Yeah. Just feel a bit faint." "Think furnace with wings." The previous dwarf spoke again. "Yeah. I-I-I need air." He breathed deeply, but the dwarf continued. "Flash of light, searing pain, then poof. You're nothing more than a pile of ash." He definitely wasn't helping to keep the hobbit calm. There was a long silence. And then, Bilbo spoke. "Nope." And he collapsed to the floor. I must admit, I was feeling faint myself. Actually I thought I was going to be sick. But I signed the contract regardless, and gave it to Balin. He checked and nodded. He signed his name on the witness section and handed it to Thorin, who signed his name too. Whilst this was going on, Gandalf sighed. "Very helpful Bofur." Time passed and it came to the point where Bilbo refused to go on this quest, no thanks to Bofur. He would be alright if Bofur didn't freak him out. He freaked me out, but I had fought enemies. I had plenty. But poor Bilbo Baggins had never left home, never used a weapon in his life, and he had never met a dwarf before. I felt so sorry for him. Thorin stood in front of the fire, the dwarves and myself gathered around the crackling fire. The dwarves started to hum and after a while Thorin began to sing. Far over the Misty Mountains cold'' To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away, ere break of day ''To find our long forgotten gold. The dwarves joined in. The pines were roaring on the height'' The winds were moaning in the night The fire was red, it flaming spread Trees like torches, blazed with light.' As the song was going on, I could tell that they were all deep in their memories or emotions. Thorin could be heard all the way through, obviojsly it had hit him the hardest. Even though he was looking ib the fire, I could feel his eyes on me at times, see them. And they were full of great sorrow and anger. I jjst wanted to hug each dwarf, but it would just seem a little strange. So I apologuzed for their loss and found some place to sleep, but sleep I could not. ---- The next morning we had woke up bright and early to set out for the Lonely Mountain. Balin left Bilbo's contract on the table whilst everyone placed their bets on the hobbit turning up. I didn't place a bet, but I knew deep down that he would come. He had something good on him. Thorin kept his eyes on the road as I rode slightly behind him on my horse. I felt tall compared to the dwarves, but that was only because I was on a horse. I was the height of an elf, but I was a youngster compared to other Dunedain. I still had some growing to do. "Wait!" Came the familiar voice of Bilbo Baggins. "I signed the contract." He stopped in front of Balin and handed it over. The dwarf nodded in approval. "Welcome aboard laddie." "Give him a pony." Thorin called out as we began our journey again. "No I can walk." The hobbit protested, but Kili and Fili, Thorin's nephews, picked him up and put him on a horse. I smiled.And brought my hood down. I could feel the sun on my face. "Stop! We need to turn around." Bilbo called out. "What is it, master hobbit?" I asked Bilbo. "I forgot my handkerchief. " Bofur sighed and pulled out his, or ripped part of shirt. "Here, use this." He chucked it at Bilbo who caught it and looked at it in disgust. ''Authors Mote: Hello people, I have an announcement to make, the next chapter will be in 3rd Person, I've already got it written down since this is on three different sites, four if you include this one. I'll be making this one 3rd person in due course. I'll be adding on the next chapter a little later on since I'll be going soon. Also, I'm thinking about doing an Aragorn story after this and adding on a one shot thing at a later date. Thank you for reading. :)'' ''Mellon cín (your friend),'' ''Kim Hawke''''' Category:Kim Hawke Category:Home is Behind Category:The Hobbit/Lord Of The Rings